Our Cuisine

At Urban Solace Catering, we pride ourselves on providing only the absolute highest-quality cuisine, from every ingredient to every flavor—farm fresh, responsibly sourced catering with an emphasis on incredible ingredients. We buy our salmon from a single fisherman in Alaska, our soda is made with pure cane sugar and we feature natural vegan Worcestershire, hand-crafted maraschino cherries from Washington, handmade artisan domestic cheeses, carefully raised meats and so much more.

These ingredients combine in a variety of dishes made from scratch that take inspiration from the San Diego culinary scene as well as from traditional American fare. With a modern and innovative approach to classic combinations, Urban Solace Catering provides incredible catering experiences for every palate.

Our Story

Chef and owner Matt Gordon met Lisa Richards in 2001 when he was hired as the executive chef for Lisa’s catering company. After three years, Matt yearned to return to the restaurant side of the industry. Just a few years later, though, when he decided to open his first restaurant, Lisa was among the first to sign on as an investor. They had discussed for years the idea of working together to bring the unique Urban Solace cuisine out of the restaurant, and the rest is history.

Urban Solace Catering began in 2016 as the much-dreamed-of collaboration between long-time business partners Matt and Lisa. After receiving a ton of inquiries from loyal fans of his restaurants, Matt reached out to his partner and catering expert Lisa to help him enter the San Diego catering scene. Their passion for exceptional cuisine and unforgettable events is seen in every occasion with Urban Solace Catering.

Matt Gordon - Chef and Owner

Chef Matt’s desire to open the Urban Solace restaurant and create the catering company stem from a revelation he and his wife had one day—even the best of the best restaurants use artificial ingredients, fake sugars, fast food and “other junk,” as he calls it. From ketchup to maraschino cherries, even stellar restaurants utilized these low-quality ingredients. 

So Matt and his wife set out on a mission—to create a place where they felt good about the products they served, down to the most basic ingredients. They spent nearly a year slowly replacing or coming up with their own recipes for so many items that most restaurants take for granted and along the way created the modern, innovative and yet truly classic cuisine of Urban Solace.

Matt’s passion for delicious catering and incredible customer experience is in each part of what Urban Solace Catering does and continues to drive him to create unforgettable menus and events every day.

Lisa Richards - Owner

Lisa Richards has made a name for herself in the catering industry with her strong will to succeed and charismatic, pragmatic personality. She has experience in everything from the start-up to the wind-down and a particular passion for sales, marketing and sensible growth of companies. Lisa also has a gift for cultivating long-standing relationships with her clients, who have helped her develop a network of referrals.

With small beginnings as a San Diego picnic caterer, Lisa developed her other companies—Picnic People and Festivities Catering and Events—into the multi-million-dollar family-owned businesses they are today. She truly loves using her creative, big picture-focused mind to help clients achieve the events of their dreams.

In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her husband and four poodles in their Montana vacation home. She enjoys cross-country skiing and snuggling by warm fireplaces on cold winter nights.

David – Lead Cook

David has over eight years of experience in the culinary industry. His culinary journey started at a local San Diego restaurant. David decided to pursue a journey into the catering industry and loves it. David love being able to display the art of cooking into one of the thousands of plates. "There's nothing more thrilling and exciting than being able to display your thoughts into a plate." Being part of the Salus Event Group, David loves being able to go out and experience the excitement & happiness that clients get when they see the food and event come together. David's hobbies are playing sports, listening to music, reading, enjoying some one-on-one time with his bunny, or enjoying time at amusement parks on roller coasters! 

Christina Pancheri – Event Coordinator

Born and raised in San Diego, Christina has always been surrounded by food. As the youngest of three children, she grew up loving to cook for her family, which led her to pursue a successful career as an Executive Chef for various established restaurants in San Diego. She was one of the Food Network’s hit show “Chopped” contestants in Season 46. With her extensive culinary background, she brings a wealth of experience to the team, and is ready to help you plan your perfect affair. Besides being a talented Chef, Christina also earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from CSUSM.